Boiler-flue cleaner.



A. CONNOR. BOILER PLUE CLEANER.

APPLIUATION FILED MAB. 25, 1910.

A. CONNOR.

BOILER FLUE CLEANER. I APPLICATION FILED MAB. 25, 1910. 969,461, Y Patented Sept. 6,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTORNEY.

17o-alli whom- 'it may concern Uniriin srnzriis PATENT onirica.;

v Specification of Letters Patent'.

ratenteasepa e, 191e.

Application file d March '25, 1910. Serial No. 551,553.

it known that I, ALiiXa-NDER I Con-N on, a citizen of theUnited States,l .residing-at Montezuma,-jinthe county of Parke and Statetof Indiana, have' invented certain nevsr and useful Improvements in Boiler-Flue Cleaners ;.and- I do Vdeclare the following toy n be 'afullifclear, andjlexa'ct description'of the ,tlgpartially broken away and invention-i reference [being hadl tou the. ac-v connpanyingV drawings, and ,to the letters and figures-of reference marked thereon, which form ajpa-rtof this specification.,

'Ehi's invention .relatesto apparatus for clearing boilenflues of soot and -ashes by the Vuse of steam jets,"the invention having referencemore'particularly to flue cleaners tha-tare ada ted to be operated attherear endsof the y oilers as occasion may require Whilethe boilersare in use. 'i

vThe object 'of the invention primarily is to provide improved flue cleaning apparatus that Willlbe adapted to be used. frequentlyV -Land conveniently in order to maintain the highesteiiiciency of the boiler in operation- With the minimum consumption of fuel,la

further object being to provide flue cleaning apparatus that will be'the most effective at the rear end of t-he'boiler, and which will blow the ashes and soot into the sm eboxto be 'carried fout by the draft,y or from which accumulations may be the more easily removed than from the combustion chamber.

With t-he above-mentioned and minor objects in view the invention consists in boiler flue cleaning apparatus comprising a slotted eornbustionchamber roof at the rear end of the'ilue boilerand provided with horizontal guide bars at opposite sides of the slot, and a portable appliance insertible through the slot andfprovided with supporting and guiding means-cooperating with the guide-bars wherebyn to direct steam jets into all the iues of "eitherV Avertical row thereof; and the invention consists further in the novel parts. and combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter particularly described and then pointed out 'in theraccompanying l claims.

i Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a flue boiler and .its/set having the improved ftlue cleaner' applied thereto; 4 2, a'4 vertical section on the line A A' in Fig.

lghlivig. 3, av fragmentary vertical section showing the construction of the' roof and' -portable apparatus; Fig. 8, a fragmentary Wall, and 14 the furnace door.

cover when the flue .cleaning apparatus is n ot in use ;-Fig. 4, a fragmentary vertical sec'- t-ion illustrating modifications j 1n construction; Fig. 5, a fragmentary top plan of the flue cleaning apparatus inoperative positi'o'n; Fig. 6, .a vertical centralsection of theI portable portions of'the apparatus; -Fig. 7,'a' perspectivey view of the guide head of the vertical section 'onuthe line B 'B in Fig. 5; Fig.v 9, a horizont-al section on the line G C in Fig. 6; Fig. 10, a-vertical sectionof the slot cover-as on the line D D- in Fig. 3'; Figjll, a top plan of the cover ;.4 and Fig'. 12, a perspective viewof a'facing bar with `Which in some cases the guide bars are provided. Similar reference charactersjin thedilfer'- 'ent figures of -the drawings indicate like elements or features of construction herein referred to. y v y In the dra-Wings', the numeral 1 indicates a horizontal ue boiler shell.; 2 the rear boiler head',` 3 the middle verticalrow of flue's; 3 the other vertical rows `of 'lue's, the. boiler headv having a handhole plate 2 inthe lower portionthereof, et the' smoke-box, 5 the smoke stack or chimney, G and 7 the side walls and 8 the rear Wall ofthe boiler setting, 9v the roof or arch extending from the rear wall and side Walls to the rear boiler head; 10 the steam dome of the boiler having a valve 11 connected thereto; 12 the front wall of the boiler setting. 13 the bridge The invention is illustrated inv connection with a single boiler and'A the .description sho'uld beunderstood as referringaswell to one of a battery of boilers. y

The invention comprises essentiallyv portable; apparatus 'comprising a steam head which is composed'of a section 15 of ironpipe on one end of which is a cap 16 to'close. it and on the other end of Whichis secured one end of a pipe-tee 17 having aside branch 100 17', the steam head' comprising'aiso a relaltively shorter pipe 'section 18 securedJ-to the opposite end of the pipe-tee, the end of the section 18 having 'a tee fitting 19 thereon in- 7 the main part of which isa handle-bar 20 105 preferably composed of wood, soas to not become heated, the fitting 19 having aside branch 19 secured to the pipe section 18 and having a closure 21 therein which closes the `end ofthepipe section, lso that the steam: 110

guide opening 24 receivingthe (pipe section" ooscly, s as to be rotative an adjustable vertically ',therein, the guide -head having twolianges or bearing portions 25 and 25 on opposite sides thereof'for its support, one flange preferably having a pointer 26 thereon. A collar 27 is secured on the section 15 of the steam 'head between the guide head and the pipe-'tee 17 b'y means of a set-screw \28, and in operation the collar rests upon the guide-head and supports -the steam-head, the latter being provided'with a steam supply hse 29 connected to the side-branh 17 by means of a union 30, the hose being cn.- nected by means of a union 31 yto the-valve 11, so that' the' portable apparatusmay be' disconnected and laid aside when nbt-in use. The roof or arch 9 as above mentioned is built with a slot therein parallel to the rear boiler head2 and provided at op osite sides of the slot with guide bars 32 an 33 preferably composed of channel iron, and ,inasmuch as the heat may in some cases slightly warp the guide-bars, one of which assist-s in supporting the roof, the guide bars are preferably provided with facing-bars 32 and 33', respectively, composed each of L-section iron placed on the tops thereof and extending partially .down the op osin faces ofthe guide-bars, the facin ars aving longitudinal slots 34 and 34 1n the end portions vthereof through which extends bolts 35 and 35' which secure them to th'e guide-bars and permit expansion and contractionf the guide-bars lwhile the facing-bars remain -relativel'y coolfand not liable to Warp, the

facing bars therefor providing-true surfaces on which the flanges of the guide-head mayslide while the body portionvf the guide head extends into .the slot and 'isguided by' the vertical' sides of the facing-bars. The space between the guide-bar 33 'and the boiler-head is filled preferably with asbestos filling 36. The upper surface of one of the 'facing-bars has indicating markings 37, 37

thereon and when the facing-bars are not employed the guide-bar has similar markings 37 thereon to indicate that the jet nozzles shall be opposite the boiler flues or, in

alinement therewith when thepo'inter 26 is brought to the markings, each marking being in the vertical plane coinciding with the 'axes of the flues of ea'ch row.

'structure in case the lower portions of the .-suitabl 4ing the 4ilues it is 'preferable to remove the steam-head so that it vwill not be liable to lnjury from the heat of the fires, and when remoyed the slot is closed by a cover plate 40 'provided on the under side thereof with an' asbestos lining 41, the cover having a handle v42 on the top thereof for removing it, and

preferably the cover comprises also a'linin plate 43 provided on the under side thereo with an asbestos lining 44, the plate 43 being connected to the outer. portlon or cover proper that rests on the uide-bars by means ofrods 45,45', and s acing'thimbles .46, 46', thereon, so that the p ate 43 and its lining is suspended in the slot near'the lower portions of the guide-bars to exclude theheat' in a' measure" from the upper-portions pf the iride-bars which therefore will not'be sub Ject to intense heat.

various modifications, 0feopraimaybe' made in the idin and su" ortingpmeans of the steam'gliead gwithin tgt? scopeof the claims.

In practical use, with steam pressure in the boiler the fires are gotten int'o good condition, so as to avoid excessive smoke if such is ordinarily produced, and then the cover 40 is removed, so'asa to clear the guide-bars, after which the steam-head is inserted in the slot and the guide-headv placed upon the guide-bars, the ste m-head being turned so that t e nozzles may pass throng theslot and then the steam head is rotated until the handle-bar 20 indicates thatfthe nozzles project in alinement with theiluesuthe steam connections are then made, if n ot reviously made, and steam is turned into t e steam head with the result that the steam will escape forcibly and expansively into the rear ends of the fluesand blow the ashes and soot therefrom and into the smoke-box,.the height of the steam headl the-reen, butit is obvious that further ad;

justments may be made if they are required,

vas may be ascertained by observing the ac- .guide-head 23' is moved along the guide-bars after each vertic'alrow of'flues have been, cleaned. r

It is evident that the cleaning operations may be done very quickly. and then the steam head may be. (promptly withdrawn through the slot, an the latte may be closed bythe cover 40. It should be understood, however, in case it be desired to leave the steam head remain permanently in one end ofthe slot; thecover of the slot may be "inade of suitable length, so that it 'with the guide-head ait one end thereof will entirely close the slot.

Having thus described the invention, what "lis claimed as new, is-

1. A boiler-flue cleaner including a steam- 'pipe-teein alinement with the main pipe` section, a.- tee-tting ,secured to the short pipe section and having .a closure therein closing the end of the pipe section, and a -handle in the tee-fitting.

1 2. A boiler-flue cleaner including a guidehead, and a steam-head comprising a main ipe section extending through the guidehead, nozzles attached to the pipe section, a

' cap on one end of the pipe section, a pipe-tee secured to the opposite end of the pipe-sections a relatively short pipe section secured to the pipe-tee in alinement with the main pipe section,v a tee-fitting secured to thev short pipe section and having a closure. therein c osing'the end of the pipe section, and a device connected to the main pipe section and coperating with the guidedto support the steam-head in vertical position; Y

3. A boiler-Hue cleaner including a pair of horizontal guide-bars', a. guide-head movable on'the guide-.bars and having a vertical guide-opening therein, a hollow steamhead extending yertically through the guideopening and having nozzles on the lower portion thereof below the guide-head and an inlet opening in the side of the upper ortion thereof above the guide-head, a andle-bar connected to the upper end of the steam-head, and' adevice connected to the steam head and cooperating with the guide-headt to support the steam-head in vertical position.

'4. In a boiler-line cleaner, the combination with a flue-boiler, and the rear wall of Athe boiler-setting, of a roof-wall at the rear .end of the flue-boiler having a slot therein vparallel to lthe end'of ,the boiler provided 'with alpair of guide-bars that extend in opposite sides of the slot and also upon the roorwall, aguide-head movable yupon and between the guide-bars and having a vertical guide-opening therein., la hollow steam@ head extending vertically through the guide-opening and having nozzles en lthe i,

lower portion thereof spaced opposite 'the ends of the flues of the boiler iii vertical rows. for directing blasts through all the lues in either vertical row simultaneously, and a device connected to the steam-head and cooperating with the guide-head to support the steam-head in vertical position.

5. Ina boiler-flue cleaner, the combination with a flue-boiler, and the rear wall .of the boiler-setting, of a roof-wall at the rear end of the flue-boiler having a slot therein` parallel to the end ofthe boiler provided with a removable cover, a pair of guide-bars in opposite sides of the slot, and a portable steam-head insertible in or removable from the slot when the cover thereof is removed, the steam-head. carry# ing a guide-head that is freely inaertible between or removable from between .the guide-bars and having nozzles .thereon that are spaced to correspond witlithe spacing of the lues in the boiler lin vertical rows, and adevice for adjustably connecting the guidehead to the steam-head.

6. In a* boiler flue cleaner, the combination with a flue-boiler, and lthe rear wall of the boiler-setting, of a. roof wall at the rear end of theboiler having a slot therein paiallel to the end of the boiler provided with a removable cover, a pair of guide-bars in opposite sides of the slot, one of the guidebars having marks thereon indicating the vertical rows of the boiler fines, a `guidehead movable in the slot and having flanges thereon bearing upon the guide-bars, one of the flanges having a pointer thereon to register with -the marks, the guide-head having a vertical guide opening therein, a hollow steam-head extending movably through head and an inlet-opening in the upper poi'- tioii thereof above theguide-head, a collar secured adjustably on the steam-head and I bearing upon the'guide-head, and a handlebar on the Upper end of the steam-head, e

with a steam-supply hose cennected to the steam-head at the inlet--openin In-testimony whereof, I a X my signature in presence of two witnesses. I ALEXANDER CONNOR. Titnesses j AsHnR T. STRIBLING, FRANCIS M. M. LAUGriLIN. 

